Akureyri 2017: RECAP

The 3rd and 4th round in the Icelandic Championship was hosted on Akureyri last weekend. The race was the opening of the Car Festival the locals call “Bíladagar” or “Car Days” directly translated. The people who organized the event on Akureyri the weekend 10th – 11th June sure deserve a pat on the back for a fantastic competition. The race officially began at 11am but the participants had to arrive earlier. The teams had arrived in the north the day before or during the night and had set up the city of tents like they do every race-day. The cars ready and yearning to go and master the steep hills of Akureyri. As a tradition they were going to compete in 6 tracks each day, one of whom is the fierce time track but like in any other sport things go wrong and you have to miss out.

The unfortunate one the Saturday was Haukur Einarsson on his new build: HEKLA. It looked good for him at the beginning, however as the day went by he had to resign from the competition due to transmission failure. Haukur is however not the guy who quits because he has the wind against him. His team was quick to rip apart the transmission and figure out what went wrong and fixed it so they would be able to compete the next day.

We also saw a new comer in the sport that weekend. A doctor and brilliant driver: Fjölnir Guðmannsson. He recently bought the old Iron Maiden, but he renamed the car “Eva” after his wife. He arrived with the car full on race ready and was determined to compete in each track. He said after the weekend

“Gratitude is the only word that comes in mind after last weekend when I competed in my first Formula Off-Road competition. Everything went so smoothly that I could hardly believe it. The goal for the weekend was to drive all 12 tracks and I’m happy to say: Mission Complete”

Atli Jamil surprised everyone when he showed up in full-dress race suit and fixed on driving that weekend after his accident in the previous race. The team had puzzled the car together again, strapped Atli to the driver’s seat and aimed to the top. Saturday Jamil Racing snatched up the Gold after the day and every team member celebrated. Sunday didn’t go as well though. He had some difficulties with the car and end up in 14th place.

The weekend was very successful all together. The perfect way to begin a feast like that. The stunts and drive skills these men possess is out of this world. They go all over the country with their F.O car in tow just so they can play around in the dirt with their family and friends. If that isn’t perfect we don’t know what is.

Next race will be in the East of Iceland in a place called Egilsstaðir.

Icelandic Formula Offroad

Formula Offroad is a Motorsport originated in Iceland back in 1965. The sport consumes of 4×4 custom made machines that can climb up vertical hills and take on any obstacle that is put in their way like hydroplaning over rivers/lakes and mud tracks. In Iceland alone are over 30 drivers that are competing today in three classes. Unlimited, Modified and Street Legal and are the drivers growing rapidly. Each year we have new drivers in each class and is the sport growing all across the world.